LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE: KENYAN TEACHERS BRINGING COMMUNITY CULTURAL WEALTH INTO PRACTICE

Author

Peter Njagi MwangiFollow

Publication Date

Fall 9-15-2023

Abstract

This study explores the complex leadership tasks high school Kenyan teachers provide in their communities, giving a detailed look at how these educators balance their responsibilities as both classroom teachers and community leaders. Historically, Kenyan communities are frequently viewed through a deficit lens, and this study sets out how the cultural wealth of the dynamic teacher and learner communities cross the boundaries between local communities and educational institutions. To enable a new type of bridging school and the community, this study reveals the interconnectedness of school and community through the interplay of teachers moving fluidly in both spaces and influencing both.

High school teachers in Kenya have leadership duties that go well beyond the confines of the classroom, making them invaluable contributors to the community. These teachers have a special opportunity to create connections between the educational setting and the larger community where they have leadership responsibilities. Examining teachers in these roles demands a recognition of the community's dual function as a knowledge creator and consumer.

Essentially, the goal of this research is to shed light on the significant—yet frequently overlooked—part that Kenyan high school teachers play in bridging the gap between the academic world and the diverse communities in which they work. It emphasizes the necessity of instructional approaches that promote a comprehensive strategy where school and surrounding communities have opportunities for collaboration.

Keywords

Community Cultural Wealth, Leadership, Indigenous, Deculturalization, Power, Agency

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Studies

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies

First Committee Member (Chair)

Glenabah Martinez, PhD

Second Committee Member

Pisarn Bee Chamcharatsri, PhD

Third Committee Member

Natasha Howard, PhD

Fourth Committee Member

Mary Rice, PhD

Recommended Citation

Mwangi, Peter Njagi. "LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE: KENYAN TEACHERS BRINGING COMMUNITY CULTURAL WEALTH INTO PRACTICE." (2023). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/educ_llss_etds/159